I cannot measure Bulgarian national interest in Russian oligarchs or former KGB officers. I would measure Bulgarian national interest in the extent to which Bulgarian security, Bulgarian skies and Bulgarian citizens are protected. This was stated in an interview for the program "From the Day" on BNT by the Deputy Director of the European Council on Foreign Policy Vesela Cherneva.
According to her, Radev's government intends to "take Bulgaria out of the European mainstream in terms of security and defense". In her words, this is disturbing.
“We do not have any strategic document related to security policy, if you will - the national defense doctrine. That is, we are talking about national interest, according to who personally feels it, but we have neither a strategic framework nor a vision against which Bulgarian institutions, Bulgarian defense companies and our partners can orient themselves in what Bulgaria intends to do“, noted Cherneva.
“In Europe, we see an unprecedented awakening in the field of defense and the defense industry, which is measured both in percentages of the GDP of the member states, and in a large impulse of European industrial production through defense. “Rheinmetall“ is one of the giants in Europe in this area. The fact that they came to Bulgaria was good news. They could have been included in something more high-tech, and not just in the production of gunpowder and ammunition. However, the signal to the investor that such an investment can be terminated or canceled, and then can be returned to the agenda, is not good. Bulgaria is lagging behind this conversation, does not participate in the conversation about European reindustrialization through defense, although the Bulgarian industry has the capacity for this and it is an important part of the Bulgarian economy", noting that it is the Coalition of the Willing that is the forum where the future European security architecture is discussed.
Political observer Ognyan Daskarev expressed the opinion that Bulgaria is currently in its place as a fully regular member of NATO.
"Radev does not block major European decisions, unlike Orban, but participates in them. For the first time, Bulgaria is showing will, such as refusing to participate in the sanctions against the Russian patriarch. This is what is new in Bulgarian foreign policy. The cabinet's response that it refuses to participate in these sanctions was accepted by the Europeans. Now, as far as I understand, Bulgaria will participate in the new 21st package of sanctions against Russia. The Europeans accepted this", he also commented.
According to him, Bulgaria's new foreign policy is "clear and categorical". In his words, when it comes to the sanctions themselves and the war in Ukraine, Radev is consistent.
„4 and a half years ago, at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, when feelings against Russia were strong, he said that this war would not have a military solution and incurred a lot of negatives. Now, it turns out that Radev was right," the political observer noted.